


Death Among Us

by LayWright



Category: Eddsworld - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Gen, Made Up Time Period, Murder Mystery, Mystery Creature AU, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-10
Updated: 2016-05-03
Packaged: 2018-06-01 07:51:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6509347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LayWright/pseuds/LayWright
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Edd Gol was sent by the king to investigate strange deaths occurring around the village of Norbury, where the victims looked as if Death himself has taken their souls from their bodies.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Norbury Village

**Author's Note:**

> Time Period is a mystery but this is a magical AU so it's just confusing and made up here.

      Midnight.

 

A time of silence and rest. A time where most people are fast asleep in their beds, having counted the sheep that they herded earlier that day.

 

A lone man was just returning home. Having been drinking earlier, he stumbled down the road that cut through a wide forest, a bottle in his hand.

 

“Uurgh… This is it… Th’ path... “ He grumbled to himself, pausing to take another swig from the bottle. He lowered it after, squinting ahead and into the darkness. “Mm… Yeah… M’not lost… Or nothin’... Just gotta go… Forward…”

 

The trees swayed gently and the ground shook ever so slightly. Small things that went unnoticed by the drunk man as he continued his trip home. Only the shaking of the nearby bushes managed to capture his attention.

 

The man stopped, swaying slightly as he turned to look in the direction the noise came from. “M… Martin…? ‘S that you followin’ me…? I told ya… I’m… Ugh… Fine!” He shouted at the bushes, taking a step forward before adding, “I can take care of m’self…”

 

Like that, the shaking stopped. The drunkard stared silently for a moment, an eyebrow raised as he waited for some sort of response. When nothing answered, he gave a crooked smile. “Heh… Thought so…” He said in a low voice before continuing on his way.

 

From the bushes, however, a tall figure rose and began to trail behind him. It seemed to glide along the ground, leaving no trail behind it and not making a single sound as it moved. It lurked after him, slowly… Getting closer and closer… 

 

* * *

 

 

      “Woah there girl! Easy!”

 

A horse whinnied in irritation at it’s owner, shaking it’s head as it approached the entrance of a small village.

 

Edd Gol looked at the village ahead from atop the horse, shielding his eyes from the sun. “Ah, there it is… The village of Norbury…” He said to himself with a sigh. He lowered his hand, frowning slightly as they entered the village. “I… Expected it to be… Well, bigger.”

 

The horse gave another irritated whine before bucking, sending Edd flying forward with a startled cry. He hit the ground hard, then lifted his head up just enough to look back at his horse. Much to his dismay, the horse stamped its foot and turned back, galloping off and leaving a trail of dust behind him.

Great.

 

Edd lied there for a moment or two, catching his breath. Well, the journey to this village took a solid three days. It’s gonna take even longer now, without a horse. He guessed it would be better to figure things out later, since he was going to be staying in the village for a while anyways.

 

“Need a hand?”

 

Edd looked up to see a villager standing in front of him, arm outstretched as he offered him his hand.

 

“Uh… Yeah, thank you.” Edd replied, taking the stranger’s hand. Once pulled up, he brushed the dirt off of his clothes and beamed at the person who had helped him. “My name is Edd Gol! I’ve been sent here on a mission and you… Have no eyes…” His voice trailed off.

 

It was true. The villager in front of him looked like he had absolutely no eyes. He was shorter, with spiky brown hair and wore a rather uninterested expression. The villager raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. “Yeah, I’ve noticed. You’re the guy that the king sent right?” He said, crossing his arms expectantly.

 

A man with seemingly no eyes… And with no explanation either. Well, the other villagers seemed indifferent, so perhaps it wasn’t that big of a deal. “Um… Yes! That’s me!” Edd replied, rubbing the back of his head nervously.

 

“So you’re a knight?”

 

“Uh… No.”

 

“Then… What are you?”

 

Edd opened his mouth to answer, but honestly he didn’t have one. He just closed his mouth and shrugged, earning a look from the other.

 

“Well, whatever. The name’s Tom Ridgeman. I would show you around these parts, but there’s not a lot to see, honestly. You’ll find your way around.”

 

“Are you the head of the village?”

 

Tom didn’t answer him right away, instead pulled a flask from his pocket and took a long drink. “Sure. Let’s go with that.” He finally answered after lowering his flask, looking at it instead of at Edd.

 

There was a moment of silence between the two before Edd decided he should be the one to break it.

 

“So… Uh… Can I ask what’s been happening here? What the issue is, I mean.”

 

Tom took another drink from his flask. “Oh, right. That thing. Yeah, follow me.” The shorter male replied and walked off, leaving Edd to stand there in silence for a moment before rushing after him.

 

What could it be? There’s been reports of deaths, but this certainly didn’t sound like any normal murder case. That’s all the info he was given before he was sent to the village to investigate further. Alone. Which was a little odd, but they probably felt like they were sending his best man out anyways. This case shouldn’t be all that hard.

 

Tom led them inside a longer house, which smelled absolutely revolting the moment he stepped in. Edd let out a gasp before covering his nose with both hands.

 

“Ugh! What’s that smell? Is that a…”

 

“Body? You bet. Found ‘em early this morning. Smells like he’s been rotting for days even though he looks like he just died last night. Not sure what to think about it.” Tom said as they approached a table which contained what must have been the body covered in a cloth.

 

Edd hesitated for a moment, but Tom was already pulling the large cloth back. The sight of the body caused Edd to stumble back in surprise.

 

It was a man. He was incredibly pale, you know, being dead and all and smelled strongly of booze. But the unnerving thing was his eyes. They were unusually wide, as if he died out of pure fright… And his pupils were nowhere to be seen. They were entirely white… 

 

“What… What happened to him…?” Edd asked after taking a moment to process what he was looking at exactly.

 

Tom shrugged. “I don’t know, you tell me. The king sent you here, right? So you must be some sort of an expert at this kind of stuff.”

 

Edd just chuckled nervously, yet again rubbing the back of his neck as he looked away. “Eheheh… Uh… Yeah… Sorta.” Tom gave him a look, causing him to quickly change the subject. “U-Um… Anyways… Do you have any more details about what happened?”

 

“Well, people are saying that his soul was scared from his body. Some say it’s the Grim Reaper. I say it’s all a bunch of bull.”

 

“What do you think it is?”

 

“Hell if I know. Anything but that nonsense.”

 

So far, he wasn’t getting any leads. This was going to be a long case for sure… Edd sighed, and forced himself to move closer to the body, looking it over for a moment. There were no markings except for some minor scratches.

 

“Um… Tom? Where was the body found?”

 

“Huh? Oh, just outside of the town. Opposite from where you entered and a bit down the path.”

 

Alright… So he can go investigate that area. He might get more information there… Because so far he wasn’t getting anything out of this.

 

“And what’s the victim’s name?”

 

“No clue.”

 

Edd stared silently for a moment. “You… Don’t know his name? Doesn’t he live here?” He asked, head tilting very slightly as he questioned the other.

 

Tom frowned, looking back at the body. “Never talked to him. Hardly see him around. I think he spends more time out drinking than he does hanging around here. Me? I get my liquor sent here so I’ve never run into him. You can probably ask around the village and down at the bar and see if you can get some answers that way. Other than that? I can’t help you much. The bar is down the same path where the body was discovered.”

 

Edd nodded, hoping to remember all that as he turned to leave. “Thanks Tom! And don’t you worry, I’ll get to the bottom of this in no time!” He said triumphantly before rushing out, giving Tom no time to answer back.

 

Tom watched him go, glancing out the window for a moment. He took another drink from his flash, letting out a loud sigh as he looked back at the body.

 

“Yup, we’re all gonna die.”


	2. You Know What They Say About Gingers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edd Gol continues his investigation, but trouble begins to brew back at the village, as some villagers believed they've already solved the case...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took me 5 freaking hours to write and it's much longer than the last chapter.
> 
> I am a suffering writer please end me.

     “What did you hear?”

 

A villager asked another, who was walking away from the house, hands in pockets. He let out a sigh, looking back at the door and thinking about the conversation he just overheard. He was lucky that the fellow who ran out didn’t notice him. The other villager raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms expectantly, worry appearing on her features. She was not looking forward to his answer, his hesitance made that apparent.

 

“I think the stories are true.” He finally responded, looking back at her with eyebrows furrowed. The woman’s eyes widened, and after glancing around for a moment, moved closer to the other.

 

“You really think so?” She asked, voice lowering to a whisper.

 

There was another sigh, and the man nodded slowly. “I heard it myself. Looks like he got his soul taken. They say they don’t know who did it, but that’s a lot of crap.” He grumbled, expression darkening. “They should know that it’s definitely  _ him _ who's causing all the problems. They just don’t wanna start a riot! But I think we can take care of ourselves, don’t ya think?”

 

The woman opened her mouth to reply, but before she could, a voice was heard behind them.

 

“Hey know, what are you two doing lurking around here? Get going, there’s nothing to see here.” Tom said, arms crossed. Thankfully, it looks like he didn’t hear their conversation.

 

Shifting slightly, the man gave a crooked smile before he walked away. The woman just nodded a little, following the other closely. “Well, are we gonna confront him about it? The quicker we do, the more lives we’ll be saving!” She said to him, once they were out of earshot.

 

The man chuckled and nodded. “Of course, of course. I say we should tell the others and head down there as soon as possible. Then we can laugh at the head of the village for solving the problem when he couldn’t.”

 

They both laughed, heading towards the center of the village. The head of the village was a damn fool. The stories were true, and it was up to them to put an end to this. They didn’t need some weirdo from the kingdom for this.

 

* * *

 

 

     So first stop, the scene of the crime! Where the body was found… Whatever. It was the middle of the day, so Edd didn’t have to worry about feeling like he would be the next victim in any way. Something about the day time was just comforting like that. The incidents seemed more likely to happen at night too, so there’s that.

 

“Hmm… This is the spot, right? I guess I never did ask where it specifically took place…” Edd said to himself, tilting his head a little. He walked carefully, eyes focused on the ground in hopes that he finds a clue of what went down that night and of course, the specific spot where the body was found.

 

BAM!

 

Didn’t notice that tree there. Edd stumbled back, rubbing his forehead and letting out an annoyed sigh. “Why is there a tree here?” He asked in the middle of the forest. He took a second to glance around, taking in his surroundings before frowning. “Oh. Right.”

 

Thankfully, no one was around to see that. Edd looked up at the tree. Something caught his eye, causing him to squint and lean closer to it. The bark was a little… Charred? It was a deep black color, and it seemed to get worse towards the other side. His eyebrows furrowed, feeling a chill going down his spine as he slowly walked around the tree.

 

On the other side, a huge chunk of bark was torn from the tree and a large symbol was carved in the middle of it. Edd stepped back, his heart beating quickly. It… It was just a symbol. Why was he so scared? He felt as if at any moment, the fear was going to tear him apart. He had no choice but to step away from it, clutching at his shirt and taking shaky breaths. Edd wiped the sweat from his forehead, and took several steps away from the tree.

 

“W-Well… Found a clue… I guess.” He muttered to himself. “I guess it’s time to head out to that bar and see what I can find there. And… I really need to stop talking to myself.” Edd added and turned back, avoiding the tree altogether and began his way to the bar.

 

* * *

 

 

     The bar wasn’t very lively, especially at this time of day. It smelled awful, causing Edd to scrunch up his nose in disgust. The floor was sticky, it reeked of alcohol which wasn’t at all surprising, and the few people inside looked pretty mean to him. Well, this was a lot better than what happened back in the forest. Edd approached the counter, taking a seat and waving his hand, trying to scare away a few flies that have taken an interest in him.

 

“Uh, excuse me!” Edd said, trying to get the attention of the bartender. The bartender turned his head, giving Edd a nasty look before approaching him. Edd gave a nervous smile before continuing. “My name is Edd Gol. I was sent by the king to investigate the deaths that have been happening around here. The latest victim is a regular here. Uh, he’s bald and has a short beard if that happens to ring any bells.”

 

The bartender looked him over and raised an eyebrow. “Hmph… Sounds a lot like Frank. He didn’t come in today, and by the way you’re talking, he’s not gonna come back is he?” He replied in a scratchy voice. Edd didn’t answer, but nodded his head, allowing the bartender to continue. “Yeah, he’s a regular all right. Stays here practically all day, gets drunk, then goes home. He does owe a lot of money, but I suppose that doesn’t matter at the moment.”

 

“Do you know anyone here that had anything against Frank? That would be willing to kill him?” Edd asked, folding his arms on the counter and leaning forward slightly.

 

The bartender shrugged, grabbing an empty glass and running a rag over it a few times. “Nope, don’t think so. The only strange thing that happened though, was that he kept talking about some beast.”

 

That definitely got Edd’s attention.

 

“A beast? What do you think he meant by that?” He asked, silently wishing he had something to write this all down with. Oh well, it was info that could be hard to forget anyways.

 

Another shrug. “Dunno. He walked in, saying that a stranger said that the beast is out to get him. He just laughed it off, saying that it was just a load of bull and did his usual thing. I guess that was the night he died too. Funny.”

 

Edd listened intently, nodding slowly as he took in the information. A beast, huh? Maybe it had something to do with that awful symbol carved into the tree. Maybe there was a story behind all of this? Like a legend? He probably would find more info back at the village. He could ask Tom about it. “Uh, is there anything else you know?” He asked, swatting more flies away as he looked at the other.

 

“Afraid not. That’s all I’ve got on him.”

 

Oh well, he was done here anyways. “Thank you for everything! I’ll be on my way now. Please, uh, find a way to contact me if anything comes up. I’ll be back in Norbury Village. Good day!” Edd said, nodding politely before jumping out of his seat and rushing out of the bar quickly. He has a much better lead on the case now, which honestly scared him a little considering where this case was headed. A beast? A symbol that caused him to shake with fear? Edd slowed down, crossing his arms as he thought. He hoped it was more simple than it sounded… He really doesn’t want to fight some large creature that is fully capable of slaughtering him where he stood.

 

“Help!”

 

A cry snapped Edd out of his thoughts, causing him to look up in alarm. Someone was running towards him, waving their arms frantically. Edd picked up the speed again, meeting the other halfway.

 

The person grabbed his arms, panting and shaking slightly. It was a tall male with ginger hair, eyes wide with fear.

“You’ve got to help me! They think I’m a murderer! I-I didn’t do anything! I’m too pretty to be burned at the stake!” The man said quickly, and Edd almost didn’t catch any of it.

 

“Alright, calm down! Why are they accusing you of-”

 

“There he is!”

 

The frightened man yelped in fear, quickly rushing to stand behind Edd, hands on his shoulders. A large crowd was coming towards them, filled with angry faces. There was the occasional pitchfork, which was a little amusing. Edd raised an eyebrow, noticing a familiar face being pushed ahead of the crowd.

 

“Tom?” Edd said, watching the smaller man get shoved towards them. Tom cursed angrily, smacking the hands of the angry mob off of him and dusting himself off. “What’s going on?” He questioned him, looking at him then back at the crowd.

 

A man stepped forward, pitchfork in hand. “We don’t need ya anymore, king’s boy. We’ve figured it out for ourselves! And the head of the village here was keepin’ it to himself!” The man shouted, taking a step forward when the other three stepped back. “We overheard ya talking with ol’ Tom here. The stories are true, ya hear!? And we’re not gonna sit back while you guys continue makin’ lies and getting more people killed!”

 

“That’s a load of bullsh-” Tom began, but was interrupted by Edd.

 

“What stories?” Edd said, earning a look from Tom. He ignored him, staring the man straight in the eyes.

 

The man laughed. “You tellin’ me you haven’t heard the stories? They don’t have that sort of thing back at the castle, don’t they?” He let out a sigh, glaring daggers at the three of them. “You know what they say ‘bout gingers, don’t ya?” He said, and Edd tilted his head in confusion. The man went on. “They say gingers don’t have souls, so they steal the souls of others. Keeps ‘em strong, young, and makes ‘em live longer too.”

 

“Which is incredibly stupid if you ask me. I’ve known Matt for a long time now and I am pretty sure he isn’t sucking people’s souls out. I mean seriously, look at him!” Tom began, and who Edd supposed was Matt, looked at him with a large smile on his face.

 

“He’s a complete idiot.” Tom finished, pulling his flask out from his pocket.

 

Matt’s face fell.

 

Edd took a step forward, glaring back at them. “Okay, so there’s the stories… But what about proof, huh? Did you see him kill anybody?” He asked. This didn’t seem right… It felt like they were just accusing an innocent man out of fear. He didn’t want to see a man falsely accused of murder to be burned alive. It was just… Wrong.

 

“I did! I saw him do it!” A lady called out. “It was late at night and I watched him suck someone’s soul out through their eyes! He’s a monster!” She yelled, and the crowd joined in.

 

“Yeah! I remember now! I saw him too!”

 

“Me too! I think he even drank their blood!”

 

“I watched him suck the souls out of two people at once!”

 

Edd swallowed nervously, glancing back at Matt who gave him a desperate look. “Please… They’re lying! I didn’t do any of that, I promise!” He begged, tears gathering in his eyes. Then, Edd can just see it. He honestly believed Matt. This man was genuinely afraid, so all of these people were definitely lying about what they witnessed. It made him angry, that people were so quick to kill someone the moment they thought they did it. No mercy, no reason. They needed a distraction, and fast.

 

“Guys… I have an idea... “ He whispered as the mob continued their ranting. Tom and Matt exchanged glances, then looked back at Edd. “I’m gonna distract them, and when I give the cue, we’re gonna run. Got it?”

 

Matt nodded and Tom just shrugged. “Sure, whatever gets us out of here.” The eyeless man whispered back, taking a drink from his flask a second after.

 

Edd nodded, then looked back at the mob.  _ ‘Alright… Here goes nothing…’ _ he thought to himself, and let out a long sigh.

 

“Quick! What’s that over there!” Edd shouted, pointing behind the whole mob. Surprisingly, every one of their heads turned in the direction, all muttering in confusion while the three of them got away.

 

* * *

 

 

     “Really? That was your plan?” Tom exclaimed, pocketing his flask as they all kept running.

 

“I’m sorry, I panicked! But it worked so it doesn’t matter!” Edd replied. He was running as fast as he could, and for a moment he could hear the angry shouts of the mob, causing him to try and pick up speed. “We’ve got to lose them! If they catch us, we’re all going to die!”

 

“Thank you for stating the obvious! I know a place we can stay, alright? Follow me!” Tom shouted, and took a sharp turn off of the path and into the forest. Edd and Matt paused for a second and exchanged glances, but when they heard a distant shout, the both jumped slightly and rushed after their eyeless friend.

 

* * *

 

 

     It probably has been about an hour or so, and Edd was pretty positive that they lost them. Well, lost the mob and got lost themselves. They were walking now, unsure of where they were headed or if it was even safe. Edd’s stomach growled, as he missed lunch, and all of the running didn’t help whatsoever. “Tom… Where are we going again? You do know where you’re going, right?”

 

Tom was walking ahead of the group, carefully stepping over tree stumps and pushing back branches. “I know a guy. He’s a complete jerk and I hate his guts, but he owes me a favor. Right now, he’s all we’ve got, as much as I hate to admit it.” He replied, pulling back another branch that proceed to hit Matt along the way.

 

Matt just blinked and continued on, jogging a little to catch up as he was a bit behind. He fell into step with Edd, glancing at him every now and then. “Um… Hi! I’m Matt Hargriff… Thank you for saving me… I think the world would have suffered if they got rid of me.” He said to him. Tom laughed, and Matt glared at him for a moment. “I… I don’t understand though! I’m not a monster! I didn’t expect you to believe me either!”

 

Edd smiled at Matt and pat his back sympathetically. “Everyone’s just… Scared. I’m sure they’ll regret it later. Anyways, the name’s Edd.” He pointed his thumb at himself. “Edd Gol. I  _ was _ sent to Norbury to investigate the deaths and all, but… Well, I guess I’ve had a slight change of plans.” Edd sighed. He was still going to continue his investigation, for sure… Which reminds him, he had a question to ask Tom.

 

“Tom, I have a question.”

 

“Hm? Shoot.”

 

“Does the village have a sort of… Legend about a beast? A monster that is… Uh… Associated with a symbol that makes you terrified when you look at it?”

 

Tom took a moment to reply, then he shrugged. “First time I’ve heard of it.” He replied, and Edd looked down in disappointment. “But… The guy I know might know something about it. He talks about that kind of stuff all the time. It’s kinda annoying.”

 

Edd lightened up a bit more. Well, at least there was that. There certainly was some hope after all. But then, he had another question, and he sped up a little to be closer to the shorter man. “Um, I have another question, actually… Why didn’t the villagers attack you first? I mean, they did throw you out but it was for a different reason. They… They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, right? If… Uh… You don’t have any, then does that make you ‘soulless’ too?” He asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

 

Tom looked up for a second, then shrugged. “I guess so. Not sure why they didn’t yell at me for it. Maybe they haven’t heard about that one. Anyways, we’re here.” He said, pointing up at a small house up ahead. It was made up of logs, and though it wasn’t very big, it looked cozy enough. “Let’s hope the jerk has the decency to let us in.” Tom added, and approached the door.

 

Edd just waited nervously, unsure about how this was all going to play out.

 

Tom groaned, taking his flask out just to down the last of what was inside, then put it back into his pocket. “Well… Here goes nothing.” He said, and knocked on the door.


	3. Tord

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang arrive at a place they can take refuge at for a while. Here, Edd meets someone he hasn't seen in a very long time and is willing to help them in any way they can.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapters just keep getting longer. Anyways, enjoy!

      The three waited for a moment, hearing someone on the inside moving towards the door. It opened a little, and they only saw the person for a second before he slammed the door shut again. Tom scowled, and probably would’ve rolled his eyes if he had any, and knocked again. “Hey, do I even  _ have  _ to remind you what you owe me? Stop being an asshole and open up already. We really don’t have all day.”

 

The door swung opened again, revealing a man a little taller than Edd with brown hair that kinda reminded someone of horns. He didn’t look too thrilled. He crossed his arms, glaring down at Tom. Edd narrowed his eyes, looking the other over. He seemed… So familiar. Where has he seen him before? Maybe around the castle? The town?

 

“I don’t remember something like that.” The man said, with an accent different from anyone he’s met recently. But… That accent… He’s heard it before, Edd just couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Oh! Wait! He remembered! The hair, the red clothing, the accent…

 

“Tord?”

 

The man looked up, then beamed and roughly shoved Tom aside, opening his arms. “Edd! It’s been such a long time, my old friend!” He laughed, and Edd didn’t hesitate to practically throw himself into his hug. Tord pat him on the back, before Edd backed up and placed his hands on his shoulders.

 

“Wow, it’s been forever! I didn’t expect to run into you like this! How’ve you been?”

 

“I’ve been, well, alright. And how about you Edd?”

 

Edd grinned at the other. “Just swell!”

 

“Ahah! That is good to hear, my friend! What can I do for you?”

 

Tom watched the interaction with disbelief. “Wait, wait, wait. You two  _ know _ each other?”

 

Edd nodded, putting an arm around Tord’s shoulders. “Yeah! He was my friend back at the kingdom for a while. He left for a while though. Wow… It’s been about eight years hasn’t it? Oh! Uh, anyways! We really need your help with something!”

 

Tord nodded, looked over at Tom, then Matt, then back to Edd. “Sure! Anything for a good friend of mine!” He replied gladly, causing Tom to grit his teeth in anger. “Please, let’s go inside and you can tell me everything!” And Tord placed a hand on Edd’s back and led him inside, leaving the door open for the other two. Matt glanced at Tom, who was grumbling angrily before following them inside. Matt hesitated a moment, then followed them as well.

 

* * *

 

      “Wow! You have a nice place, Tord!” Edd exclaimed, looking around the house. Hanging on the walls were what seem to be many trophies. The skull of some savage beast, antlers, and things like that. “Did you kill all of these yourself?”

 

Tord smiled at him again and nodded. He walked over, pointing at the skull. “That, was from a giant snake. A snake that could have swallowed you and Tom at the same time, and still not be satisfied. It took me and my men several days to hunt it down. When we found it’s lair, it took us several hours to kill it. One man alone couldn’t of taken it down.”

 

Edd gaped in absolute awe. “Hours? That’s incredible! Why did it take so long?”

 

The other man chuckled, crossing his arms. “It was really quick. It’s lair was like a maze, and it knew its own home well. It was an incredibly venomous snake, and it nearly killed us many times. We were lucky to be the victorious party.”

 

Tom scowled, leaning up against the wall. “Show off…” He grumbled and looked down at his flask, then lifted up to down the rest of it. It’s a shame he was kicked from the village. “Hey, asshole. You’ve got any whiskey?”

 

“No.”

 

“Great.” Tom groaned and stashed his flask away.

 

Edd was still looking at the skull, eyes wide and full of wonder. “That’s amazing Tord! You must have met all kinds of monsters! You’re incredible! Oh! Speaking of which… Um…”

 

“Please, Edd, have a seat. Make yourselves at home. You, Tom and… Um…” Tord looked Matt over with an eyebrow raised.

 

Matt was occupied looking at a mirror hanging on the wall by the door, admiring his features. It was assumed he wasn’t even paying attention in the first place until he realized that everyone was staring at him. Matt jumped a little, then looked at each of their faces. “Oh, right! I’m Matt Hargriff!” He pointed to himself proudly. “The most good looking person in all of the land! My village kicked me out because they thought I was a monster! Big mistake on their part, in my opinion.”

 

“Monster, huh? Is this what you came to me for?” Tord asked Edd, who nodded as he sat down in a chair. The man’s eyebrows furrowed for a moment, then he looked back at Matt. “Well, anyways, the name is Tord! Tord Larsic. I’ll help you with anything I can. Anything for an old friend!” Tord said and took a seat, motioning for Tom and Matt to do so as well. Once the they have taken a seat, Tord looked at the three expectantly. “So, what’s this about a monster, huh?”

 

Edd leaned forward in his chair, eyes wide with excitement. “You won’t believe it, Tord! People have been dying left and right! I was sent to Norbury to investigate the deaths. The information I got so far… Well… Our latest victim was last seen alive at the bar a short distance away from Norbury. The bartender said he was talking about how someone told him that a beast was out to get them. He didn’t believe it and was found dead the next day! I found a strange symbol carved into the tree right by where the body was discovered too.”

 

“A symbol?” Tord repeated. He closed his eyes for a moment in concentration, then opened them. “Do you remember what it looked like? Maybe you could draw it out-”

 

“No!” Edd blurted out, cutting Tord off. He saw the look of surprise and concern on everyone’s faces, and found himself laughing nervously. He scratched the back of his head. “I… I uh… Sorry. I was going to explain… The symbol made me feel…” Edd paused, now tugging on the bottom of his shirt. “Afraid. I’ve never felt so scared in all my life. I felt like if I kept staring at it… I… I would literally die of fright! So I… Really… Can’t write it down.”

 

There was a moment of silence, then Tord nodded. “Uh, well, alright then Edd. I’m… Sorry if I-”

 

“No, no, it’s okay! Really!” Edd said quickly, waving his arms a little.

 

Tord cleared his throat. “Well, alright then. Uh, so where does he come in?” He asked, motioning to Matt.

 

“They thought I was a monster! They thought I was killing those people! I’m not a killer! Well, I do have killer looks… B-But that’s not the point!” Matt blurted out before Edd could get the chance to speak. “They think I eat souls! Why would I need to eat a soul? I think they said it was too keep me young and beautiful?” Matt crossed his arms. “I don’t need souls for that! I’m already both young and very beautiful! Who do they think they are?”

 

“Hey, Matt?” Tom said.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Could you shut up? Thanks.”

 

Matt slumped in his chair, glaring at Tom, but didn’t say another word. Tord looked a little lost, trying to process everything that Matt had said. “So... “ He said. “You were accused of killing people for their souls? Why’s that?”

 

“I was going to get to that. Well, the victims looked like their souls were scared right out of their bodies! Their eyes were all white and… And they looked so scared… They say gingers don’t have souls… That’s why the villagers targeted Matt, because they think he’s stealing souls..” Edd explained and looked down at the ground. “This is the strangest case I’ve ever seen! I’ve never dealt with… Well, whatever this is before! Is it magic? A mythical beast? Will I even be able to handle it? What if I get killed?” He was beginning to get incredibly anxious the more he spoke.

 

Tord stood and walked behind Edd’s chair, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry about it, Edd! You have come to the right person for this kind of thing! With my help, this should be over in no time, alright?” He said with a smile, giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

 

Edd let out a deep sigh, forcing himself to relax. Right… Tord was right! He must have fought all kinds of creatures, so this must be no problem for him! Edd calmed down and nodded. “Right. I trust you Tord.”

 

“Good, good!” Tord said and walked off. “Now… Let’s see…” He stopped in front of a bookshelf, looking it over for a minute or two while tapping his chin. The others waited in silence, watching expectantly. Then, Tord grabbed a book off of the shelf, blowing off the dust that had collected there and set it down on the dinner table. He turned back again, grabbing several more and placed them beside the first one. “Well, I have several books that might have information about such a thing, but it will take a while. If you want to find it quickly, then I suggest you three sit down here and start reading. I’ll make us something to eat, alright?”

 

The three of them groaned, but got up anyways. They had no choice, and besides, it was better than being chased by an angry mob for sure. So they all sat down while Tord made them something to eat, each grabbing a book and flipping them open to the first page. Edd looked at the book he took, running a hand over the first page carefully. “Wow… Where did you even get these books, Tord?” He asked.

 

Tord glanced over at him, thinking about it for a moment before chuckling softly. “Hmm… Let’s just say they just happened to fall into my hands. It’s a long story, nothing too exciting.” Was all he said before he resumed making lunch for them all. Edd and Matt just shrugged and continued reading, while Tom looked up, narrowing his eyes at Tord for a moment before he went back to the book.

 

“Oh, yeah! Tom got kicked out of the village too! Except, it wasn’t for… Having no eyes. Edd, you said eyes are the windows to the soul, right? So Tom doesn’t have a soul either! But that’s not why they kicked him out, I think it was because they thought he was lying. Or just being really bad at his job.” Matt rambled, earning a glare from Tom.

 

Tord looked back into the room with eyebrows raised “Tom got kicked out of the village for that? Hah! Ooh, classic stupid Tom! I’m not very surprised!” He said with a laugh and continued making lunch. Tom opened his mouth to shout an insult back, but a look from Edd caused him to close it again.

 

A while later, Tord walked over to the table, setting down plates full of things like bread and meat down in front of each of them. Edd was starving after everything that happened that day, and proceeded to wolf down all of the food he was given. Matt and Tom stared at him for a moment, then exchanged glances before they began picking at their own food. Tom looked like he didn’t trust it at first, but ate it anyways. Tord sat down with his own plate and grabbed a book. “This is going to be a long day, my friends… And Tom.”

 

* * *

 

      And it was. It was very late at night, and Edd was practically half asleep by now. He was resting his chin in his hands, nearly drifting off several times. Matt yawned then looked back down at the book, while Tom closed the one he was currently reading. “Sheesh, Tord, how many books do you have? Seriously, this is so stupid.”

 

Tord glared at him. “Do you want to find answers or not, Ridgeman? If so, I suggest you shut up and keep reading.” He snapped. Tom grumbled something under his breath and reached for another book. Earlier, Tord had went down into his basement and found a box full of more books much to everyone’s dismay. So, it was just several hours of constant research with the occasional few minute break. Tord closed his book, then looked up at Edd with a sigh. “Well, looks like Edd is about ready to pass out. I suppose we’ll have to stop for the night…” He said and stood.

 

Edd blinked and snapped out of it, shaking his head a few times. He rubbed his eyes. “No… No, It’s okay. I’m fine. We should keep going. There might be another attack tonight… And I want to be able to solve this… This case as…” He yawned. “As quickly as possible…”

 

“Edd, you really should-”

 

“No, no. Please, Tord… I’m fine.” He interrupted him and looked back down at his book. Tord’s eyebrows knit together, and he sighed. He sat back down again and continued his research. He didn’t want to upset his friend, so he might as well wait until Edd completely dozed off this time.

 

Then, Tom stood, holding the book he was reading. “I… I think I found it. Finally.” He said, causing the other three to look up. They all stood and crowded around the smaller man. “Uh… There’s only a little bit of info on it… Uh…” Tom began, but then Tord took the book from him before he could read anything out loud. “Hey!”

 

“Hmm… Let’s see what this says…” Tord said, ignoring Tom’s angry shouts. “Never actually seen before so there’s no picture… No one’s lived to tell what it looks like. It’s described to be death itself… It’s targets are first warned by… Uh… Seems like the warning could be anything from some creepy old lady telling you to your mirrors shattering when you got too close to them. It says if you’ve been warned, you’ll know. Um… What else do we have here…? Oh! IT does say something about the symbol.”

 

Edd was practically leaning on Tord now, trying to look at the book’s contents as well. “What? What does it say?”

 

“That whoever sees the mark…”

 

“Whoever sees the mark what!? What does that mean? Tord stop pausing!”

 

Tord squinted at the book, then sighed. “The words are too… Faded here. I can’t make out what the rest says, Edd. I’m sorry. I’m sure it’s just about the fear and all. It probably said, ‘Whoever sees the mark will be filled with fear’ or something, right?”

 

Edd slowly nodded. “Oh, uh… Right.” He said. Why was he so nervous all of the sudden? What did he think it was going to say? Edd moved away from Tord and sat back down, crossing his arms. Tom groaned and walked away.

 

“So, that’s it? We know a little about it but we still don’t know where to start! How the hell are we supposed to find this thing? Wait for it to start targeting one of us? Definitely not!” Tom shouted, throwing his hands up in the air in frustration.

 

Edd’s eyebrows furrowed in concentration. “What if… We try to find the next victim before they get killed?”

 

Tom just gave Edd a look. “Really? That would take forever! I don’t think we’re just gonna, come across a guy who just  _ happened _ to have been targeted by… Whatever the hell this thing is! This is not going to be so easy and I hate it.” He ranted.

 

“Yeah… You’re right…” Edd just said, then yawned. Tord let out a sigh and closed the book, setting it down on the table.

 

“We’ll figure it out in the morning, alright? It’s really, really late. We should be getting some rest. Edd and Matt can use the one guest room I have. It has two small beds. My… Men, are away and that is the room they usually use. Tom? You can sleep on the couch.”

 

“Gee. Thanks. Asshole.” Tom said, and just dropped down on the couch without another word.

 

Tord began leading the other two to the guest room. “Tord, who are your… Men?” Edd asked, walking beside his friend.

 

“Oh, it’s not important, Edd. You’ll meet them one day.” Tord replied and opened the door to the guest room. It was a small room, with two rather plain looking beds. But it was better than sleeping on the floor. “Anyways, get some rest you two. We have a long day ahead of us.” He said and closed the door once the two of them entered the room.

 

Matt flopped down on one bed, while Edd sat down on the bed by the window. “Hey, Edd? We’re going to be okay doing this, right? I mean, I don’t have anywhere else to go and… If we find this monster then people won’t be angry at me anymore, right? But… I don’t want to die! I hate dying!”

There was a long pause, and Edd turned towards the window. “I don’t know… I think we will be. Tord is the absolute best! With his help, we’ll have this all cleared up in no time!” He said with confidence. That seemed to do the trick, as Matt lifted his head to give Edd a smile.

 

“Well, if you say so! This is kinda strange but… You did save my life, so I trust you! Well, goodnight!” Matt said and curled up, going quiet minutes later. Edd stared at him for a moment, then lied down. Right… 

 

They were going to be just fine.

 

* * *

 

      It was the probably still very late at night when Edd woke up, hearing a strange sound outside. It sounded like… Something moving in the bushes… He sat up, glancing over at Matt who was fast asleep, then looked out the window. He narrowed his eyes, leaning forward to try to see what was making all of that noise.

 

Then something moved, causing Edd to jump slightly. A dark figure rose from the bushes, but only stood there for a second before running away. Edd didn’t hesitate jumping out of bed and rush out into the main room. There was someone creeping around out there, and instinct told him to go confront them.

 

Edd whipped the front door open, feeling the cool night air hit his face. He stepped out, moving slowly and cautiously as he looked out for the figure. “H-Hello…? Who’s there? What do you want?” He said, raising his voice a little. No one answered him. Everything was absolutely still. It was very… Eerie.

 

Maybe he was just seeing things?

 

But then out of nowhere, the figure rose up right in front of him, inches away from his face. Edd opened his mouth but not a single sound came out, but he did stumble backwards. He tripped over his own feet, falling backwards onto the ground. The figure stared at him, not doing anything for a moment. Then finally, it let out a raspy wheeze before speaking.

 

_**“Y… O… U…”** _

 

It’s voice was icy and cold, hurting Edd’s ears and making his entire being shake. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t speak. Was this… The creature? What was it?

 

The thing approached him, it’s appearance flickering. As it got closer, the world around him got darker and darker. Edd felt like he was going to die. It was once again, inches away from his face, staring at him with non-existent eyes until…

 

He was back in bed.

 

Edd sat up, heart racing. It… It was all just a nightmare. Relief washed over him as he lied back down again. This whole case was really starting to get to him… He looked at Matt, who was still sleeping, and then just looked back up at the ceiling. He was not going to look out the window right now, nightmare or not. Edd thought about his nightmare for a moment, but began to find himself unable to recall anything that happened.

 

Strange.

 

Well, it wasn’t worth staying up all night. It was just a dream anyways, and maybe it was a good thing that he couldn’t remember. They had a big day ahead of them. So Edd just closed his eyes, and forced himself to relax. It was all just a dream… No need to worry.

 

But why did something feel so… Wrong?


End file.
